Author: McCormack+Kristel

The Client

Founded in 2015, Point Source Youth is a 501(c)3 organization working nationally to prevent and end homelessness for all young people, with a focus on LGBTQ+ youth. They help advocate for, implement, and evaluate proven, scalable, and replicable youth homelessness interventions to increase housing options for youth. Point Source Youth’s liberation focused model trusts young people as experts in their lives and wellbeing. Their youth-centered solutions provide support for rapid re-housing, host homes, direct cash transfers, and family and kinship strengthening. Each solution centers youth choice and empowers young people to make vital decisions that positively impact their lives.

Point Source Youth partners with service providers and youth advocates across the country to develop innovative solutions and conduct research and program evaluation. Rooted in their belief in the power of local change, their team of regional technical assistance experts empower communities on the ground working to end youth homelessness. In further support of their collective and regional approach to ending the national youth homelessness crisis, Point Source Youth convenes a national symposium and three regional (rural, southern, and western) conferences, reaching 3,000 annual attendees.

Point Source Youth believes that all people have the unconditional right to housing. All partners share their core values and prioritize serving the most historically marginalized youth, including BIPOC, nonbinary, and LGBTQ+ youth.

Since its inception, Point Source Youth has been growing rapidly. The organization, which is overseen by an eight-person Board of Directors, is expected to operate with over $3 million in revenue in 2022 and 11 nationally distributed staff. Continued expansion of revenue, programs, and staff is expected in the near term.   

For more information, please visit: www.pointsourceyouth.org

The Position

In this newly created position, the Deputy Executive Director will report to and partner with the Executive Director to lead Point Source Youth’s growth and advance its mission. The Deputy ED will articulate and operationalize a strategic vison for building Point Source Youth’s infrastructure. With oversight for Communications and Programs and responsibility for a $2.5+ million budget, the Deputy ED will initially manage a team of eight including two direct reports. Based on projected growth, staff oversight will likely double in the next two years. Key responsibilities include:

Leadership

• Provide strong, collaborative, and intentional day-to-day leadership to bridge teams and support a results and rest-driven culture;
• Apply an intersectional, anti-oppressive, and anti-racist framework that ensures all work lifts up and centers BIPOC, nonbinary, and LGBTQ+ youth;
• Build a diverse and inclusive culture on a foundation of transparency, open communication, and collaboration;
• Mentor and coach staff using a supportive and collaborative approach;
• In partnership with the Executive Director, develop and track the annual budget;
• In collaboration with the Management Team, create multi-year program and strategic plans.

Organizational Development

• Develop and implement human resource systems and structures including creating consistent and equitable job descriptions and leading the annual review process;
• Lead expansion of the team including the addition of human resources and policy positions;
• Ensure all staff receive timely and appropriate training and professional development opportunities;
• Define OKRs and set and hold staff accountable to KPIs;
• Develop multi-year staffing plans and corresponding organizational charts.

Programs

• Manage the Vice President of Programs and oversee of a four-person Program team with responsibility for strengthening and expanding existing programs and launching and growing new programs;
• Collaborate with the Director of Development to grow corporate, foundation, individual and major gift revenue;
• Assist in the expansion of rapidly growing technical assistance revenue, including developing strategies and identifying opportunities for contract work that results in technical assistance revenue and partnerships with government agencies and local service providers;
• Provide strategic direction for and continued enhancement of national and local solutions to end homelessness;
• Promote effective engagement with national partners that deepens and expands work across movements to end youth homelessness;
• Center authentic engagement with youth and the youth advisory council to continuously improve and deepen all work.

Communications

• Manage the Vice President of Communications and oversee a three-person Communications team with responsibility for all internal and external communications;
• Ensure compelling content, successful execution and continued growth of all webinars and events including the annual national symposium and three regional conferences;
• Provide strategic oversight to the enhancement and marketing of a growing collection of national youth homelessness handbooks that provide essential resources for community partners to implement solutions;
• Oversee and grow web traffic, social engagement and impact, increasing annual impressions and engagements.

Professional Requirements

The Deputy ED will foster a diverse, transparent, and inclusive culture and they will ensure an anti-racist framework is integrated into all work, both internal and external. They will be responsible for applying an intersectional and equity lens to Point Source Youth’s work that lifts up and centers BIPOC, nonbinary, and LGBTQ+ youth. The successful candidate will have the following:

• Experience, ideally both lived and professional, addressing youth homelessness and economic justice;
• Prior management of relevant programs, including experience leading youth engagement and youth-centered programs;
• Organizational and leadership development experience, ideally in a mission-driven nonprofit;
• Demonstrated systems thinking experience and proven ability to catalyze effective change through a holistic approach to analysis of systems and structures;
• Superior management skills including a demonstrated ability to build and lead a growing team;
• Coaching and mentoring skills, including prior experience with staff who work with youth;
• Creative problem-solving skills, including negotiation and conflict resolution skills;
• Exceptional project management skills;
• Previous nonprofit budget and revenue responsibility.

Personal Characteristics

The ideal candidate will be a flexible, collaborative, and entrepreneurial leader who is energized working in a rapid growth, fast-paced environment. They will thrive in the current start-up culture and have the vision and skills to lead the organization into its next phase of growth. They will uphold Point Source Youth’s pillars of honest, radical, and innovative work, will uplift staff, and support both a results and rest-driven culture. The new Deputy Executive Director will approach leadership as a counselor, mentor, and coach. They will hold space for transformational change while supporting a nurturing and human-centered culture. In addition to a passion for Point Source Youth’s mission, they will have the following:

• Excellent judgment, including a commitment to maintaining confidential information;
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including youth with lived experiences of homelessness;
• Commitment to social justice frameworks including race, gender, economic justice, and equity;
• Ability, on occasion, to work evenings, weekends, and irregular hours;
• Ability to travel and work effectively in a variety of geographic, political, and cultural settings.

Compensation

Point Source Youth is offering a competitive salary, commensurate with the lived and professional experience and qualifications of the selected candidate. They provide an excellent benefits package including 100% employer paid health insurance and a fully funded Healthcare Spending Account equal to the annual deductible. Point Source Youth also provides a 401(k) with a 4% match, dental and vision insurance, and a monthly allowance for a home office and self-care. In additional to a generous PTO policy and holiday schedule, the Point Source Youth offices are closed for one week during the summer and three weeks at the end of the year.

Opportunity

This is an extraordinary opportunity for a purpose-driven leader and creative builder to scale-up a radically transformative organization working at the leading edge of the movement to end youth homelessness. The new Deputy Executive Director will lead by example and build structures that support the organization’s evolution to be centered in restful and wellness practices. They will collaborate with and complement the Executive Director to ensure that Point Source Youth continues to be an innovative national leader in the youth homelessness space.

Location

Ideally, the new Deputy Executive Director will live in the wider New York City Metro Area, the wider Washington, DC metro area, the wider Los Angeles metro area, or the wider Bay Area metro area.

Contact

Please submit a résumé and original cover letter that describes your interest in the organization’s mission and qualifications for the position as attachments via e-mail to:

Michelle Kristel, Managing Partner

McCormack + Kristel

1740 Broadway, 15th Floor

New York, NY 10019

Phone: 212.531.5003 | Fax: 212.203.9599        

Email: search@mccormackkristel.com | Website www.mccormackkristel.com

All inquiries will be held in strict confidence.  Please note that your education, dates of employment and other information will be verified prior to an offer.

McCormack + Kristel works only with equal opportunity employers. Point Source Youth does not discriminate in any of its employment policies or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex, disability, age, marital status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other personal characteristic protected by applicable law.

The Client

Tides is a philanthropic partner and nonprofit accelerator dedicated to building a world of shared prosperity and social justice. Tides works at the nexus of funders, changemakers, and policy, with extensive impact solutions, including philanthropic giving and grant making, impact investing, fiscal sponsorship for social ventures, collaborative workspaces, and policy initiatives. Tides’ extensive tools and know-how give their partners the freedom to hit the ground running and drive change faster than they can on their own. For more information, please visit www.tides.org.

In 2020, Tides granted over $665 million to nonprofits nationwide and in over 110 countries. In addition, Tides is currently home to more than 170 social ventures operating in over 25 states. Tides’ San Francisco and New York collaborative spaces, Tides Converge, include more than 150,000 square feet of space, and are home to 80-plus social impact providers.

The Vision

Tides envisions a world of shared prosperity and social justice founded on equality and human rights; a sustainable environment; healthy individuals and communities; and quality education for all.

The Mission

Tides accelerates the pace of social change, working with innovative partners to solve society’s toughest problems.

The Approach & Tides Programs

• Cross boundaries and link sectors, communities, and cultures.
• Act with empathy and respect.
• Engage with those whose lives are affected.
• Embrace risk.
• Prioritize ideas that can scale.

Here are the services through which Tides pursues its mission:

• Charitable Giving, Grantmaking, and Advising

Tides designs and implements philanthropic programs to help donors, institutions, and corporations achieve meaningful results and streamline the process for both grantees and funders. Tides provides donor advised funds (see below), collective action funds, and many other charitable giving vehicles that support donors in driving impact.

• Donor Advised Funds

Tides provides grantmaking through donor advised funds, which gives donors additional options for anonymity, privacy, investment in socially responsible funds, charitable grants to for-profit entities, and much more. Grants from Tides’ donor advised funds aren’t limited to 501(c)(3) organizations. Tides can direct funds to support charitable activities of 501(c)(4) organizations, social enterprises, international NGOs, and mission-related investments. As a mission-driven public foundation, Tides has launched numerous grantmaking initiatives focused on accelerating social change in areas from racial justice and democracy to climate and pandemic response. 

• Social Ventures: Fiscal Sponsorship & Management Services

Tides provides sophisticated fiscal sponsorship and related management services so leaders can focus on their missions. Backbone services and expertise are available in areas such as financial management, legal compliance, grants management, human resources, payroll, and benefits.

• Collaborative Space

Tides’ multi-tenant centers in San Francisco and New York City offer high quality environments for social ventures, nonprofits, and innovators to work, learn, and grow together, amplifying their efforts to solve our world’s most complex social and environmental problems.

• Social Impact Consulting

Tides offers highly customized expertise to meet each client’s needs in pursuit of social impact. Tides can assist in designing philanthropic giving programs, managing grant application processes, structuring charitable investments in innovative social ventures, and much more.

• Impact Investing

Tides offers partners a robust set of socially responsible investment options, such as socially screened funds, mission-related investments (MRIs), fossil fuel-free funds, and high-growth, venture-backed funds, making it easy for clients to align their investments with their impact goals.

• The Advocacy Fund

Tides’ Advocacy Fund, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, provides a unique opportunity for organizations, initiatives, and grantmakers to lobby for a cause, give money to an advocacy group, or impact legislative activity to advance their missions.

Tides 2020 Financial Summary

Tides reached a celebratory milestone in 2020 with consolidated operating revenue of $1.3B (88% over 2019) and a net surplus of $596M. Grantmaking reached $665M.  Assets Under Management (AUM) reached $1B+ at the end of December, a $461M increase from December 2019. The general fund added $21.8M to Tides’ surplus which stood at $55M at the end of 2020.  

For 2021, revenue is trending slightly ahead of 2020 with increasing fees, indicative of further growth in Social Ventures. Expectations are for revenue in the $1.5B range as Tides expands staffing levels to meet this newly established threshold and increasing activity with Social Ventures.

Tides History

In 1976, social entrepreneur Drummond Pike created Tides Foundation in response to a growing need for guiding philanthropic giving and encouraging entrepreneurial spirit in the nonprofit sector. In the decades that followed, Tides expanded its fields of expertise and solidified its role as a values-based infrastructure service for progressive nonprofit work.

In the late 1970s, Tides Foundation founded a Projects Program that nurtured new nonprofit activities. It was incorporated as Tides Center in 1996 and continues to provide fiscal sponsorship to hundreds of groups nationwide. In the 1990s, Tides opened its first collaborative workspace in San Francisco, Thoreau Center for Sustainability, which guided its real estate-based endeavors in service of affordable nonprofit offices throughout the 2000s. Tides now operates shared spaces in San Francisco and New York under the name Tides Converge.

Today, Tides is one of the leading social sector organizations in the United States. Tides has managed project and grantmaking activities totaling more than $3 billion since 1976. We have sponsored and provided backbone services to more than 1400 social ventures and fueled social change in more than 120 countries.

We owe this success to Tides’ history. For 45 years, Tides has been behind initiatives that broke barriers and created a pathway for progress in both social and racial justice. Among them:

• 1997: Syringe exchange HIV Prevention funding: At a time when there was a deep stigma surrounding both the LGBTQ+ community and HIV, Tides was among the leading funders of syringe exchange HIV prevention work, granting more than $13 million to support this proven prevention methodology. As an early funder of needle exchange programs, Tides functioned as a facilitator by supporting dozens of grassroots groups in both urban and rural communities devastated by the epidemic.
• 2000: Bridging the Economic Divide Fund: Through long-term donor investment, the national initiative supported those most affected by poverty and built strategic alliances among community, labor, and faith-based groups. For millions of people in the 1990s, the past decade was a time of declining wages, declining opportunity, less affordable housing, reduced access to health care and one of the greatest increases of economic disparity in this nation’s history. Tides launched the Bridging the Economic Divide Initiative as a response to these inequities.
• 2008: Catalyst Fund: The first and only national fund at the time dedicated to supporting women of color-led efforts to advance reproductive justice, LGBT rights, immigrant rights, environmental justice, ending violence against women, HIV prevention, and more. Tides became the home for the Catalyst Fund, which provided matching grants to women’s funds and community foundations across the nation that, in turn, support local women of color-led organizations.
• 2014: Supported the passage of CA Proposition 47: A ballot initiative that changed low-level nonviolent felonies to misdemeanors. Tides became a partner and fiscal sponsor of Californians for Safety and Justice, a coalition focused on reforming mass incarceration practices. In 2014, CSJ went to the ballot to spur policy efforts to de-crowd prisons. With the help of Tides’ 501(c)(4) sister organization, The Advocacy Fund, The Alliance for Safety and Justice Action Fund was created to sponsor Proposition 47.

Tides has continued this legacy, most recently through its partnership with Black Lives Matter and the launch of the Black Lives Matter Support Fund, and the Stronger Together Fund in response to COVID-19. Tides has consistently shown its commitment to supporting initiatives rooted in social and racial justice, positioning the organization well for its next evolution as current leadership looks to strengthen and deepen its role as a leader in these issues. In some cases, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Tides supports human rights on both sides of the issue.

Janiece Evans-Page was hired as the CEO in January 2021. Her lifelong passion for social and racial justice and her track record of transformational leadership make her the perfect choice to lead Tides in partnership with the members of the executive team and the board of directors.

Tides is comprised of seven legal entities:

Tides Network Parent Entity Incorporated August 2006 501(c)3 Management activities to support Tides Foundation, Tides Center, and Tides Inc.
Tides Foundation Incorporated June 1976 501(c)3 Donor services for institutions, corporations and individuals	Tides Center Incorporated May 1994 501(c)(3) Fiscal sponsorship
Tides Inc. Incorporated November 2002 501(c)(3) Services for nonprofit space at the Thoreau Center for Sustainability SF	Tides Two Rivers Fund Incorporated April 2003 501(c)(3) Operated and controlled by Tides Foundation and Tides Center
Tides Real Estate LLC Incorporated April 2019 Real estate donations to Tides Foundation	Tides Advocacy Incorporated March 1992 501(c)(4) Promoting social welfare through advocacy

Board of Directors

Tides Network currently has a single governing body of 15 Board Directors, and Tides plans to expand the Board to 17 members over the next year. This is an opportunity for engaged and committed candidates to play a Board leadership role in defining strategic direction and evolution of a large social and justice-focused organization.

Duties & Responsibilities of a Board Member

Tides Board members are the guardians of the organization’s mission and resources, bringing to the organization a variety of skills, knowledge, experience, and perspectives. They are tasked with guiding the organization’s mission through policy development and oversight, serving as a resource on Board committees and acting as ambassadors for Tides and the interests of its supporters.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Attendance at Tides’ Board meetings annually; pre-pandemic we typically had one in San Francisco, one in New York, and one virtual.  This will most likely evolve and is still under review.
• Active participation on at least one Tides Network subsidiary Board. These include the Tides Foundation and The Tides Center. In addition, each Board member is expected to serve on at least one standing committee – currently, these include the Executive, Financial Capital, Audit, External Relations, and Human Capital, which typically meet two to three times per year by Zoom. 
• Contributing to Tides is an expectation of Board service. Board members are expected to make meaningful personal contribution/gift to Tides, as well as inspire others to support Tides – especially those within their circle of influence.

After an orientation and the assignment of a mentor Board member, newly elected Directors serve an initial three-year term. Directors may then serve up to two (2) additional three-year terms. 

Professional Requirements

Tides is seeking a diverse group of qualified and experienced professionals with a variety of skills, experience, and perspectives to steward the continued growth, impact, and sustainability of the organization. Activism, grassroots/movement building, and/or social justice backgrounds are of particular interest. We also welcome candidates with other critical business skills, e.g., Legal (including risk oversight and nonprofit organizational compliance), Socially responsible real estate development, People/Human Resources skills, in particular around employment law and labor relations.

Tides is also prioritizing BIPOC candidates and gender diversity. A plethora of executive and entrepreneurial experiences are welcomed, e.g., family foundation, executive, entrepreneur/founder, corporate executive, civic leader, educator, public official and/or other professional of stature with strong links to a broad and expansive network. We are particularly interested in broadening Tides’ geographic diversity with board members from the East Coast, Mid-Western or Southern areas of the U.S., or global/international. Executive or Board Member Experience with a not-for-profit institution and a track record of effective participation is a must.

Personal Characteristics

Candidates must have a compelling interest in the vision, mission, and approach of Tides. The skills to make meaningful contributions to an organization at times of growth and change are a must.  Individuals who thrive within organizations or on boards during times of strategic transition will find this an exciting opportunity to lead and add value in a measurable way. 

Tides’ mission also demands a clear and consistent commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). We seek to ensure this is evident throughout Tides, from our organizational structure, policies and practices to our Board of Directors, staff and partners. The Tides Board is passionate about daring change to create structural equality. We are looking for candidates with a deep and abiding commitment to JEDI at Tides – a commitment that flows directly from our mission and working together to solve the world’s toughest problems.

Openness to innovation and a willingness to embrace change is important. Belief in community and strengthening people’s ability to achieve their individual and collective goals are core to Tides’ mission. Accountability, creativity, empowerment, respect, collaboration, and transparency are highly valued, and the humility to learn from others and continually improve performance are deep-seated cultural values that we are seeking in a successful candidate. And we welcome candidates with the ability to smile and have fun!

Opportunity

This opportunity is a meaningful and rewarding leadership challenge with an organization that has been in the forefront of social change for 45 years. It is a chance to be part of building the future of a philanthropic partner and nonprofit accelerator that aims to be a groundbreaking leader and innovator in the field of social justice for decades to come.

Contact

Please submit cover letter and résumé as attachments via e-mail to:

Joe McCormack, Founding Partner

McCormack + Kristel

1775 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 110-202

Palm Springs, CA 92264

Phone: 323.549.9200 | Fax: 323.549.9222      

Email: search@mccormackkristel.com | Website www.mccormackkristel.com

All inquiries will be held in strict confidence.  Please note that your education, dates of employment and other information will be verified prior to an offer.

Tides is an equal opportunity employer. We strongly encourage applications from women, people of color, and bilingual and bicultural individuals, as well as members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Applicants shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, color, marital status, or medical condition including acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related conditions. Also pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we encourage and will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

About Us

McCormack + Kristel is a national provider of executive search consulting services for nonprofit and philanthropic organizations. Established in 1993, as McCormack & Associates, by veteran search consultant Joseph A. McCormack, the firm was the first openly LGBTQ-owned retained search firm in the country and among the first to specialize in diversity recruiting.

Founded with the mission of filling senior leadership positions in the HIV/AIDS sector during the height of the AIDS epidemic, today, McCormack + Kristel serves a broad spectrum of mission-driven organizations with a focus on advocacy, healthcare, social services, and social justice. Over the last five years, the firm has led more than 60 searches. Recent placements include CEOs, C-Suite executives, and board members for organizations including ACLU, Astraea Foundation, Dr. Susan Love Foundation, Lambda Legal, Just Detention International, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, NRDC, Rainbow Railroad, SAGE and TransForm.

McCormack + Kristel is veteran- and woman-owned and a longtime certified diversity supplier. A true boutique practice, members of the firm’s five-person team are all subject matter experts dedicated to strengthening leadership and building capacity within nonprofit organizations and the foundations that support them.

The Position

Under the general supervision of the Managing Partner and with oversight of the search team, the Search Consultant is responsible for winning and leading executive searches. Leveraging nonprofit leadership and organizational development expertise, the Search Consultant is a trusted advisor to our clients and effective advocate for our candidates. 

With responsibility for leading multiple engagements, the Search Consultant is an adept project manager able to set realistic expectations, meet competing timelines and deliverables, and ensure successful outcomes. The consultant is a strategic thinker advising clients on issues such as reporting structure, compensation parity and onboarding plans. 

Search Consultants have excellent interpersonal skills and are talented relationship managers effectively collaborating with clients, courting candidates and mining sources. They are skilled problem solvers who must consider the totality of a client’s need, which often goes well beyond filling an open specific position. Exceptional Search Consultants have the self-confidence to deliver honest opinions to a client and the humility to engage in collaborative problem solving. 

Primary responsibilities include:

• Engage in all aspects of business development including identifying prospective clients, crafting proposals, and participating on pitches;

• Work closely with clients to understand the organization’s culture and to define the position and ideal candidate profile;

• Collaborate with Senior Associate and Recruiting Coordinator to develop the Research Plan and Marketing Strategy;

• Lead candidate courtship and assessment including recruiting, interviewing, and conducting reference calls;

• Guide clients through candidate selection process including writing candidate reports, developing interview questions, providing evaluation tools, and facilitating deliberation and selection;

• Maintain open and effective lines of communication with clients throughout search and during placements’ first years including preparing search status reports, leading check-in calls, and conducting 30, 90, 180-day follow-up calls;

• Ensure all search activities reflect the firm’s commitment to building diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplaces.

Professional Requirements

• Professional experience that includes interviewing and evaluating for executive and senior-level nonprofit leadership positions. Nonprofit executive leadership, search consulting, recruiting, HR, or organizational development experience is ideal;

• Project management skills including the ability to successfully manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet competing deadlines;

• Exceptional relationship building and client management skills including a consultative approach to problem solving and the ability to anticipate client needs;

• The ability to effectively foster and lead collaborative partnerships;

• A thorough understanding of equitable hiring practices including experience utilizing tools and coaching hiring managers and committees to reduce bias;

• Superior oral and written communication skills are essential, as is attention to detail in the development of reports, proposals, and other materials;

• Strong sales and negotiation skills to win business, recruit passive candidates, and fill positions;

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and experience with CRMs or recruiting software such as Encore Max, File Finder or Bullhorn/Talent Rover;

• Advanced online research skills, team collaboration applications and social media marketing experience are value-adds.

Personal Characteristics

• A strong commitment to enhancing leadership capacity within nonprofit and philanthropic organizations;

• Knowledge of the history, issues, and influencers shaping the LGBTQ, HIV/AIDS, racial, economic, and environmental social justice movements;

• Comfort working remotely and independently;

• Willingness and ability to travel and to conduct work during evenings and weekends;

• Unwavering commitment to upholding the firm’s values of integrity and exceptional customer care.

Compensation

McCormack + Kristel offers a generous commission structure and staff support for research, candidate development, scheduling, posting, document production and other administrative activities. Search Consultants will be engaged initially as commission-based independent contractors. Bonuses, profit sharing, and partnership opportunities will be extended to consultants who prove to be exceptional recruiters, business developers, and client managers. 

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

McCormack + Kristel believes diversity, equity, and inclusion are the essential pillars of healthy, thriving organizations. The firm was established with a mission to ensure all qualified candidates are given equal consideration by our clients. Through continuous learning and process enhancements, we endeavor to minimize bias in the candidate evaluation and selection process and increase diverse leadership in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. With the understanding that equitable policies and inclusive cultures are critical to the success of diverse placements, we commit to providing critical insights and honest feedback to our clients. 

Core to our firm’s values is the belief that all organizations, including our own, should reflect the rich diversity of the communities and constituents they serve and the country we call home. We embrace diverse perspectives and experiences and strive to create a culture that is welcoming and inclusive.  

Location

Search Consultants work remotely from home and shared offices across the country. Search Consultants can work from anywhere with the understanding most client business is conducted between the hours of 9 am ET and 5 pm PT and that when post-COVID travel resumes, travel expenses are reimbursed by nonprofit clients who are generally cost sensitive. 

Contact

Please submit, in confidence, your cover letter and résumé as attachments via e-mail to:

Michelle Kristel, Managing Partner
McCormack+Kristel
1740 Broadway, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212.531.5003 | Fax: 212.203.9599
Email: search@mccormackkristel.com | Websitewww.mccormackkristel.com

McCormack + Kristel is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital or family status, veteran status, height, weight, disability, record of arrest or conviction, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable law.

People of color, women, veterans, people with disabilities and people of diverse sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities are encouraged to apply.

The Client

The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice is the only philanthropic organization working exclusively to advance LGBTQI human rights around the globe. Astraea supports brilliant and brave grantee partners in the U.S. and internationally who challenge oppression and seed change. The Foundation’s founders—a cross-class, multi-racial group of women activists—dreamed of a women’s movement that centered the leadership of lesbians and women of color. For over four decades, Astraea has uniquely supported women’s rights and LBTQI movements working at the crossroads of gender justice, racial justice, bodily autonomy, sexual rights, and self-determination because we all deserve to live our lives freely, without fear, and with dignity.

The first grantmaker to hundreds of organizations, Astraea plays a catalytic role for LGBTQI groups around the world – particularly those led by lesbian, bisexual and queer women, trans and gender nonconforming folks, intersex people, and people of color. Astraea’s grantmaking, capacity building, media and communications, and philanthropic advocacy programs support work to build powerful movements for justice. A proud public foundation and one of the first women’s funds in the world, in its 44-year history Astraea has granted over $49 million to LGBTQI activists and artists. 

To learn more, please visit: https://www.astraeafoundation.org/

The Position

This is a newly created position reporting to the Executive Director. In collaboration with the Executive, Development and Communications Teams, the Vice President for Strategic Engagement (VP, Engagement) serves as the chief storyteller and resource mobilizer for Astraea. They are tasked with building the deepest understanding of Astraea’s unique approach to resourcing LGBTQI movements around the globe, and informing donors, institutional partners and the general public about how Astraea is achieving its impact as a feminist fund. This position requires absolute ownership of Astraea’s communication, engagement, and community-centric fundraising strategies, which are built around amplifying the stories and voices of their grantee and movement partners. 

This role additionally requires the ability to develop and implement annual strategic outcomes and revenue targets. When Astraea completes its next strategic plan in 2021/22, the VP, Engagement will oversee the development of an aligned communications and resource mobilization plan for generating revenue for the organization, positioning Astraea as a thought leader in social justice philanthropy and engaging a range of stakeholders in Astraea’s role fueling and amplifying global LGBTQI organizing. The VP, Engagement will be responsible for leading strategy aligned with that plan, including through direct supervision of the Development and Communications teams. The VP, Engagement will lead the teams in identifying, shaping and implementing comprehensive and cohesive resource mobilization and communications strategies to engage supporters, donors, donor prospects, institutional partners and other key stakeholders such as grantee partners, activist advisors, peer funders, and allies.

The VP, Engagement must hold an external presence within women’s funds and social justice philanthropic networks, uplifting Astraea’s values around intersectional leadership and radical feminism, and is responsible for managing and supervising Directors for Individual Giving, Institutional Partnerships, Strategic Communications and the Senior Donor Systems and Database Manager as well as the overall teams. In addition, as Astraea reinvents its internal infrastructure, knowledge and experience of best practices in data management and CRM software and other technology solutions, especially those that can enhance virtual engagement and donor retention are highly valued.

The ideal candidate has the skills to lead aligned communications and development departments; a track record of meeting ambitious fundraising goals; experience managing remote teams; and commitment to fostering a collaborative, values-aligned, creative and vibrant work environment.

• Management and Organizational Leadership: The Vice President for Strategic Engagement will be responsible for leading and managing a team of highly skilled and passionate staff who bring a deep understanding of Astraea’s history, legacy, and importance to its funders, grantees and partners. As such, the ideal candidate will have prior experience leading communications and development teams, be an astute manager of people, and be committed to engaging in social-justice informed decision making and feminist leadership models. The VP, Engagement will ensure Astraea’s annual fundraising goals of around $14 million are met, oversee all communication strategies, manage a department budget, and cultivate and maintain an inclusive and equitable department culture while developing and maintaining strategic partnerships with Astraea’s funders, donors and philanthropic and movement allies. The VP, Engagement will also work closely and collaboratively with all members of the Executive and Management Teams and contribute to the development and oversight of organizational strategy and serve as the liaison to the Development Committee of the Board of Directors.

• Strategy and Vision:  The Vice President for Strategic Engagement will be responsible for collaboratively developing and implementing a vision in partnership with the Development and Communications Teams. They will be responsible for communicating a compelling and inspired vision or sense of core purpose for the team. The ideal candidate holds an understanding of strategic communications as an organizing tool to mobilize their team, articulates possibilities, is innovative and optimistic, and creates mileposts and symbols to rally their teams behind the vision, making that vision exciting and shareable by everyone. They will lead the implementation, evaluation, and reporting on Astraea’s strategic communications framework, articulating a radical queer vision for philanthropic advocacy.

• Centering Equity and Anti-Oppression in all its forms: Astraea works to combat oppression in all forms by embracing intersectional feminism as part of a wider struggle for social justice, recognizing that sexism, transphobia, homophobia, misogyny and restrictive gender norms harm everyone. Rooting its feminism in social justice, they particularly support Black, Indigenous, People of Color and Global South movements and leadership. This position will be responsible, along with every executive leadership position at Astraea, for ensuring that the Foundation’s values and principles are embedded in the organization’s communications and resource mobilization strategies and practices both internally and externally. 

Required Skills and Experience

• A track record of providing visionary leadership and effective management of highly collaborative teams. Prior experience leading communications and development teams is ideal;
• Entrepreneurial approach to leading comprehensive and holistic communications and development strategies and campaigns across a variety of channels, with preference for diverse experience with community-centric and/or grassroots fundraising models. Experience with donor organizing or philanthropic advocacy is a plus; 
• A proven track record of fundraising success, ideally in an organization of equal or greater size to Astraea and preferably including the acquisition and stewardship of all levels of individual donors and foundations. Experience working with government funding a plus;
• Aptitude to oversee communication strategies to donors, donor prospects, institutional partners, and other key stakeholders, including media and a larger digitally engaged audience;
• Expertise in engaging audiences, both as a writer and public speaker. Media experience is preferred.
• Technical fluency to oversee databases and software aligned with resource mobilization and communications work, such as Blackbaud;
• Bachelor’s or advanced degree, or commensurate work experience with a minimum of 10-plus years of progressively responsible experience, ideally in a large nonprofit or foundation;
• Knowledge of financial budgeting and planning.

Personal Qualities

• Superior communication skills, with the ability to summarize information and connect with a variety of internal and external audiences, clarity and persuasiveness in written and oral communications, and high comfort level with electronic media;
• Ability to work independently and effectively in a virtual, remote environment (for now), and build strong relationships with colleagues, staff, donors and partners across geographies and time zones;
• Strong conceptual, analytic, and organizational skills to inform strategy development and execution;
• A deep commitment to Astraea’s mission and values and to advancing gender, racial, disability and economic justice.

While we recognize that not all people will have all these experiences or qualities, the successful candidate will have some of the following: 

• A nuanced understanding of the philanthropic climate including trends and tensions, and Astraea’s place among global LGBTQI and feminist funders;
• Experience working with public foundations, feminist funds and/or participatory grant makers;
• History of being accountable to and working in solidarity with grassroots movements;
• Global perspective and/or lived experience in the Global South and East;
• Knowledge of social justice & community-centric approaches to resource mobilization & philanthropy.

Compensation

Astraea offers a competitive salary and benefits for this position, including resources for professional development. The range for annual compensation is $150,000 – $165,000 depending on experience. U.S. work authorization is required.

Location

The ideal candidate will live in the greater New York region. Candidates who do not live in the NYC metro area, but who are able to travel regularly (at least one to two times a month) to New York City and willing to travel based on the needs of the position, will also be considered.

Contact

For individuals wishing to be considered, please submit a cover letter and résumé to:

Michelle Kristel, Managing Partner
McCormack + Kristel
Phone: 212.531.5003 | Fax: 212.203.9599
Email: search@mccormackkristel.com | Website www.mccormackkristel.com

All inquiries will be held in strict confidence.  Please note that your education, dates of employment and other information will be verified prior to an offer.

Astraea is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse (multi-gender, cross-class and multi-racial), collaborative and sustainable work environment. We select, place, train, and promote the best-qualified individuals based upon relevant factors such as work quality, attitude, and experience so as to provide equal opportunity for all of our employees without regard to non-work-related factors such as sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, economic status, personal appearance including height and weight, family responsibility, matriculation, political affiliation or any other status. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the application and interview process, please express that with your cover letter and resume submission.